Hush Pod: A Cozy Private Retreat for Public Spaces

A place to hide, a warm cocoon, a biodegradable space, a felt pod… Hush is all of these things and more. Designed by University of Brighton graduate Freyja Sewell, Hush is a snuggly pod that offers a quiet place to hide and escape. Hand-sewn from biodegradable local grey felt, this object-space is a private micro retreat that can be set up practically anywhere.

In a world with an increasingly virtual connection between humans, where the majority of us have a public online profile, with CCTV cameras everywhere and new social networks sprouting all the time, it is nice – and healthy – to sometimes withdraw from it all. Spotted by Inhabitat at the latest New Designers Show in London, Hush offers a quiet, dark, soft, and natural place to take a break from the stresses of daily life and other people.

Hush is soft, biodegradable and very warm. It can be used as a pod, or it can magically unfold into a seat. The womb-like structure is water jet cut from a single piece of compressed wool felt. It is hand sewn with wool string, and the cushions are filled with recycled wool fibers, a by-product of the carpet industry.

The designer told Inhabitat how felt in Britain is currently underused – in fact, a lot of it is currently wasted since it is naturally coarser and not in demand. It’s great to see a designer making good use and adding design value to the local, sustainable material. Wool is naturally flame retardant, breathable, durable, and elastic. It is also a multi-climatic material, meaning it is warm when the environment is cold and cool when it’s warm outside.

I love this design! As a graduate student I would love this in our college! Sometimes it's nice to completely withdraw from everything, but to be able to seperate yuorself while still being in a public space would be great for stress!

Amazing IDEA! I wasn't introduced to private retreats for public spaces until I started school at SCAD. In the hub we have two clunky, plastic lounge chairs with hoods so you can shut the rest of the world out as you take a quick cat nap between classes. They are oversized, clunky, and definetly not sustainable.
You have truly created a product that is going to do so well! I can see these in sheek office spaces, or airports!
Look forward to following your product!